Small changes bring big savings!
Let’s start with your daily caffeine habit. Chances are if you work you drink coffee and pay a lot for it. I used to pay $7.50 per workday to buy coffee as I bought two large cups. That amounted to $150 per month using 20 working days per month.
This sounds simple enough to change and there are many financial gurus who say hey cut out the fancy Starbucks lattes and you will be a millionaire. Well that’s only partly true. You likely need caffeine to do the job that pays the bills and that involves lots of coffee. So let’s get right past the myth of skipping coffee right now. It’s not happening.
You are going to need a cup of coffee but it doesn’t need to break the bank. Here are some ways to get that high without the pain.
- Drink the free coffee available at work. Yes, it’s probably some cheap coffee that isn’t the greatest at most places but it should do the job. Add cream and sugar and it will taste better.
- Drink your first cup at home or bring it in a to go cup. This costs pennies per day. Just don’t spill it on yourself on the way. : )
- Make your own coffee at work with a mini French press ($20). Yes, they make single cup variants. Buy a bag of coffee for seven dollars you like and press it away as most places of work have hot water and sink. It doesn’t have to be special grind at all, just don’t drink the dregs at the bottom as with any french press. The bag will last about a month. All you need is a mug, french press, hot water and a sink. So from $150 to $7 per month. See below for the small one.
- Get a Keurig single cup maker for the office. The machine will pay for itself in a month or two. Instead of buying the disposable pods buy a refillable one and put in whatever bagged coffee you want. That is much cheaper. The refillable one is $6 at the store for brands such as Ecobrew. See below.
- When at home make your own coffee with a single cup brewer like a Keurig using the refillable filter cup. Don’t buy coffee cups out for use at home on the weekend. That’s crazy.
Doing the math let’s say we save $7.50 dollars a day on each workday. That’s $150 per month and $1800 per year after tax. If you have a more expensive habbit that can be $2000 per year or more. That’s like a month of rent or mortgage. Big money!
Mr. Cash Hoarder 